The Supreme Court will hear the Tamil Nadu government’s petition on 6 August. The Tamil Nadu government has challenged the order of the Madras High Court, asking the government not to use the names and photographs of the current and former Chief Ministers in welfare schemes. The Supreme Court said on Monday (August 4, 2025) that it would hear the case on Wednesday.
A bench of Chief Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gawai and Vinod Chandran of Justice noted the arguments of Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the state government, that the High Court in its interim order has banned the names and use of the names and photographs of the Chief Minister and former Chief Ministers in welfare schemes.
Mukul Rohatgi said that the Supreme Court has said that the name and picture of the Chief Minister can be used in welfare schemes. The bench agreed to hear the petition on Wednesday.
The Madras High Court on 31 July stopped the Government of Tamil Nadu from renaming the name of any new or re -introduced public welfare scheme after the living persons. The court also banned the use of any symbol, mark or flag paintings of former Chief Ministers, ideological leaders or Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the promotion of such schemes.
A division bench of High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava and Justice Sundar Mohan passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by AIADMK MP CV Shanmugam. The MP challenged the naming and publicity of the government’s public relations program ‘fingers Stalin’ (with you, Stalin) and alleged that it violates the established norms.
The bench had clarified that the order does not prevent the state from starting, implementing or operating any welfare scheme, but it said that restrictions apply only to naming and publicity materials associated with such schemes.